Controlling mechanism for fire-box doors



C. B. ROYAL May 13 1924.

CONTROLLING MECHANIS M FOR FIRE BOX DOORS Filed Oct. 8, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 13 1924.

' C- B- ROYAL CONTROLLING mscmmsm FOP. man so X DOORS Filed Oct. 8. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. B. ROYAL CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FIRE BOX moons May 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 8, 1923 C. B. ROYAL. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FIRE Box Book's May 13, 1 924. 1,494,025

' Filed Get. a 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' Patented May 13, 1924.

CHARLES B. ROYAL, or oAK r ARK, ILLINOIS.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FIBE BOX DOORS.

Application filed October 8, 1923. Serial No. 667,427.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1. CHARLES E. ROYAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Controlling Mechanism for Fire-Box Doors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, more particularly, though not. exclusively, to locomotive fireboxes provided with mechanism for actuating the fuel doors thereof; and my objects, generally stated, are to provide improvements in structures of this character as hitherto provided,to the end, and more particularly, that the controlling device for the door-operating mechanism, while being readily accessible for the most convenient operation, will be removed from a position 0 fireman in moving about on the platform in f front of the fire-box; to provide a novel, simple and automatic control for fluid-pres sure-operated door-actuating mechanism; and other objects aswill be manifest from the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a faceview of the fuel-doorequipped portion ofa locomotive fire-box provided with fluid-pressure-operated dooroperating mechanism, a portion only of which is illustrated, embodyin my invention, the structure being viewed at the line 1 on Fig. 2 in thedirection of the arrow. Figure 2 isa view in side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, the front wall of the fire-box being shown in section, and the view being taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Figure 3 is a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 1. and viewed inthe direction of the arrow. Figure 4 is a view in vertical sectional elevation of thevplatform ofthe locomotive in front of the fire-box of Figs. 1 and 2 and of another portion of the door-actuating mechanism, the valve thereof being shown in the normal position of the mechanismin which the door is closed, Figure 5 is a broken, similar view of the valve deviceof Fig. 4, showing it in the position it assumes when manually operated to effect the opening of. the door. Figureti is a section taken at the irregular line 66 on Fig. 4 and viewedinthe direction of the'a'rrowj Figure l 7 is a view in side elevation of'the front'portion of the locomotive fire-box and platform in which'it obstructs the free action of the of Fig. 1, with certain parts thereof shown in section. and of the door actuating mechanism of the preceding figures. Figure 8 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 7. Figure 9 is a view in elevation, partly sectional, of the fluid-pressure-operated piston and cylinder device forming a part of the door-actuating mechanism, the section being taken at the line 9 on Fig. 10 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Figure 10 is a section taken at the line 10 on Fig. 9 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and Figure '11, a broken sectionalview of the device of Figs. 9 and 10, the section being takenat the line 11 on Fig. 9 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the particular construction shown, the rear end wall of a locomotive fire-box is represented at 12 and the deck extending therefrom and on which the fireman stands in stoking the fire-box, at 13. The opening through which the fuel is introduced into the fire-box is represented at 14, this opening, which is located in the rear end 12 of the fire-box, having a door shown as of the sectionaltype and involving upper and lower sections 15 and 16 pivoted, as represented, respectively, at 17 and 18, to the frame 14' of the door opening 14, the section 15, which is heavier than the section 16, swinging upwardly and the section 16 swinging downwardly in accordance with practice well known inthe art. The section 15, adjacent its pivot 17, is pivotally connected with theupper end of a-link 19, as represented at 20, the lower end of this link being pivotally connected with one end of a lever 21, as represented at 22, this lever being pivoted'between its ends to the frame 14, as represented at 21, and pivotally connected at its other end, as representedat 23, to the lower end of a link '24, the upper end of which is pivotally connected, as indicated at 25, with the door section 16 adjacent the pivot 18 thereof The door sections are thus operatively connected to move in unison, but in'opposite directions, when force is applied thereto as hereinafter described.

The door sections 15 and 16 are represented as actuated through the medium of a link 26, which is pivotally connected at its upper end, with the pivot 20, the lower end of this link being pivotally connected, at 28, with the upper end of a piston 29 operating in a cylinder 30 rigidly secured to the-door frame 14*. The cylinder shown and which,

with thepiston 29, forms a part of the fluidpressure-o-perated door-actuating mechanism, contains, in a wall thereof, a passage 31 forming a primary exhaust passage which opens into the cylinder'30 above the upper edge of its upwardly concaved bottom surface 32 and communicates with a chamber 33 in the cylinder wall, into which chamber a pipe 34, leading from aicontrollingvalveii device hereintatter described, opens, the pipe chamber 37 is controlled a check valve 41 which permits flow of fluidpressure through passage 37?, 38 and 36 and'thence to the bottom of'thecylin'der'and below'the piston 29, but prevents floiv of pressure through passage 38 to passage '37; The chamber 39 is equipped with a: needle valve 42 for controlling the flow of the exhaustive fluid-pressure from the cylinder through passages 36, 38, chamber'39 and passages 40 and 31, to pipe 34'.

The pipe leads downwardly and through the deck 13' to-the device hereinbefore referred to for controllingthe actuation of the above described piston and cylinder mechanism, this device,'shown" located beneath the deck, comprising a housing 43rigidly secured in an opening '44 in 'the'deck 13, with its'top, plate-like, portion 45 pivoted to the body of the housing, asrepresented at 46, and forming an operating member for the stem of the'valvefdevi'ce referred to,v which latter is located in, and supported by, the housing 43 and comprises a: casing 47 secured at its lower end'to the bottom wall of the housing'43 and containing a passage 48 opening throughthe bottom wall of the cylinder and communicating with the pipe 49 leading from any'suitable source of iliiid-pressure supply. The side wall of the cylinder 4'7 contains, above the passage 48therein, a pair ofpassztges-SO and 51 opening into the interior ofthe'cylinder '47, the passage 50 communicating wit-h the pipe34. The walve-device now being described also comprises a slide-valve 5'2 located within the cylinder 47 and eX- tending at one side thereof lntO ifl groove 53 inthe inner wall of the cylinder atthe portion th'ereofin which the passages50 and'i5'1 are located, the opposite side wall of the valve 52 being engaged by a spring plunger 54 which operlates to press the valve 52 against the side wall of the groove 53, the wall of the valve 52 which opposes the passages 50 and 51., containing a port 55 which is adapted in one position of the valve 52 (the normal raised position shown in Fig.

comprises a valve stem 56, shown as vertically reciprocable in the upper portion of the cylinder 47, the stem 56 being provided at its lower end with annular flange portions 5'T'iand 58, the valve member .52 surroundingfthe portion of the stem 56 between the fiange portions and 58, and the opening through thezmember 52 in which the stem portion- 56 is located, beingso proportioned relative tothe'stem that the space represented at 59 will be provided between the member 52 and the portion of the stem which itsurrounds, and the flange portions 57 and158 being of such sizeas to cause them to extend.- in spacedrelation, at their peripheries, from the opposing portions-otthe inner wall of the cylinder 47.

The arrangement and proportions of the parts described, is such, thatthe:fluidspres sure entering the bottom of the cylinder 47 through the pipe 49 holds the valve stem 56, with the parts carried thereby, inraised, normal, position(Fig. 4) in which position the upper end of the valve stem, which engagest he under side of the plate member 45, holds the latter in slightly raised position, as shown inFig. 4; and when the member 45 is'depressed by the operator to depress the valve stem 56 and the parts carried thereby, the member 45 will lower the valve member 52 to'the'positionshown in Fig; 5, a lug lOO'on the casing 43rserving as a stop for limiting the downward. movement of the member 45 ineffecting the positioningof the parts as shown in Fig. 5. V

A description of the operation of the mechanism shown is as follows:

'Assuming the parts of the device to be in the normal-position shown in all of the figures of the drawing except Fig.5. in which positionthe door sections 15 and 16 are closedythe operator to open the door com posed of these sections, down. on the member 45 with the result of lowering the valve member 52" to'the posit-ionshown in F ig. 5.; whereunon the fluid-pressure flows from the pipe 491nto the interior ot the cylinder 47 and thence through the passage 5O'to the pipe 34 from which pipe it flows door section 15 to swingupwardly and the door section 16 to swing downwardly, thereby uncovering the fuel-door opening 14: to

permit of the stoking of the fire-box. The a door remains open, so long as the operator continues to bear down on the member 1-5, but as soon as he releases pressure on this member, the force of the fluid-pressure entering the cylinder 4:7 from the pipe 19, raises the Valve stem 56, and the parts carried thereby, and also the member d5, to the position shown in F ig. 4, wherein the passage 50 is closed to the incoming fluid-pressure and is caused to be in communication with the exhaust passage 51 through the port 55, whereupon the cylinder 30 becomes vented of the fluid-pressure therein below the piston 29 and the latter, together, with the door sections 15'and 16, returnsto normal position in which the fuel opening 14 is closed. In the lowering; of the piston 29, upon the positioning of the valve-device of Figs. 4 and 5, as just above stated, the fluid-pressure in the cylinder 30 exhausts through both of the passages 31 and 35 from this cylinder, until the piston 29 reaches a position in which its lower end closes communication between the passage 31 and the interior of the cylinder30, and thereafter the venting of the cylinder is through the passage 35 only. It will be notedthat the passage 31 has direct communication, without restriction, with the pipe 34 and therefore the cylinder 30 veritsrelatively freely, until the piston closes the passage 31. When the venting is confined to the passage 35, a cushioning action on the lower end of the piston 29 is effected, due to the fact that the course taken by the Venting fluid-pres sure from the passage 35 to the pipe 34 involves a restriction afforded by the needle valve 42, it being understood that the flow [of venting fluid-pressure at the lower eittremity of the cylinder is through the passage 35, pipe 38, chamber 39, passage 40 and passage 31 to pipe 34:.

As shown in the drawings (Figs. 7 and 8) the valve-actuating member 15 is located in the deck 13 in front of and slightly to the left of the center of the opening 14 controlled by the door, the part 45 in the particular arrangement shown beingso positioned as to be tread upon by theleft foot of the fireman as he turns in right-hand firing to throw the coal from the shovel through the opening 1 1 into the fire-box. In other words, the automatic opening and closing of the door of the fire-box does not re quire the fireman to make any other move ments than those which he naturally makes in the transferring of the coal from the tender to the fire-box. assuming that the door of the firebox is constantly open it being understood that the purpose of r viding self-closing door-operating mechanism is to render the door closed during the periods when fuel is not being introduced into the fire-box. I

(if course it will be understood that where the fireman fires lefthanded. the valve-stem 56 would preferably be so located that he would tread with l1is'ri. rht foot upon it in shoveling the'coal into the firebox. However, so far as certainifeatures of my invention are concerned the valve-device of Figs. 4c and 5 may be positioned otherwise than as described, though the described positioning thereof is preferred, and where the conditions render it advisableinaybe located in the floor of the tender.

Vthile I lnwe'illustrated and described a particular construttion embodying my invention, I do. not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto, as the same may be variously modified and altered with out departing from the spirit hereof.

\Vhat Iclaizn as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: y

1. In combination with a firebox, a door for its fuel-opening and fluid-pressure actuated means for operating said door comprising a device operating, when fluid-pressure is supplied thereto, toactuate the door to position when the fluid-pressurc is vented to said device, a valve-device communicating with a source of fluid-pressure and with said pipe and operative to control the flow of fluid-pressure to andfrom said first referred to device through said pipe comprising a casing containing a I port communicating: with a supply of fluid-pressure. a second port'communicating with said pipe, and a third, exhaust, port, and slide-valve in said casing having port which in one position of said valve connects said second and third ports and closes said first named port to said other ports, and when in another position closes said second port to said third port and opens said second port to said first named port, said third port and said port in said slide-valve being out of communication at all times with said first referred to port.

2. In combination with a fire-box, a door for its fuel-opening and fiuid-pressure-actuated means for operating said door comprising a device operating, when fluid-pressure is supplied thereto, to actuate the door to one positiomsaid door moving to another position when the fluid-pressure is vented therefrom, av pipe for fluid-pressure therefrom, a pipe for fluid-pressure leading leading to said device, a valve-device coma second port communicating with said pipe, and a third, exhaust, port, and a slide-valve in said casing having a port which in one position of said valve connects said second and third ports and closes said first named port to said other ports, and when in another position closes said second port to said third port and opens said second port to said first named port, saidthird port and said port in said slide-valve being out of comn'iunieation at all times with said first referred to port, said valve being so constructed and arranged that the fluid'pressure supplied thereto, through said first named port, operates to move said valve-device to the position in which said second and third ports are in communication.

3. In combination with a fire-box, a door for its fuel-opening and fiuid-pressure-actuated means for operating said door comprising a cylinder, a piston operating therein and through the medium of which said door is operated, a passage communicating with a source of fluid-pressure and opening into said cylinder below said piston, said passage containing a check valve opening in the direction of the flow of fluid-pressure to said cylinder, and a passage, having a restriction communicating with ,said cylinder below said piston and opening into said first named passage.

4. In combination with a firebox, a door for its fuel-opening and fluid-pressure-actuated means for operating said door comprising a cylinder, a piston operating therein and through the medium of which said door is operated, a passage communicating with a source of fluid-pressure and opening into said cylinder below said piston, said passage containing a check valve opening in the direction of the flow of fluid-pressure to said cylinder, a passage having a restriction communicatmg with said cylinder below said piston and openmg into said first named passage, and a passage communicating with I position when the fluid-pressure is ventedtheretrom, a pipe for fluid-pressure leading to said device, a valve-device communicating with a source of fluid-pressure and with said pipe and operative to control the flow of fluid-pressure to and from said first referred to device through said pipe comprising a casing containing a port communicating with a supply of fluid-pressure, a second port communicating with said pipe, and a third, exhaust, port, and a slide-valve in said casing and spaced therefrom to provide communication between said first-named port and said second port when said valve is in one position, said valve having a part containing a port which, in one position of said valve, connects said second and third ports and closes said first-named port to said other ports, and when in another position of said valve, closes said second port to said third port, in which condition said firstnamed port and said second port are in communication, said third port and said port in said slide valve being out of communication at all times with said first-referred-to port.

CHARLES E. ROYAL. 

